ed as in Spain, and that the innocent have been given up to the Superior power of the defpot, whenever his intereft or his paffions required it.

"If one of thefe faints, by fome fortunate chain of circumftances, were to turn out to be a man of genius and information, he might do what he pleafed with fuch a people; he might improve, reform, and new model, the whole nation and its government. The improbability of fuch a one ever being produced here banishes the idea of fpeculating upon it. But as we be come interested in our own fpeculations, we cannot help looking forward with a degree of pleasure, and hope to fome future period of conqueft or colonization of this country again from Europe; and yet upon reflection we may fear it is ftill far diftant. We have not yet, I fear, got near enough to the termination of the long period of fuperftition and fanaticifm, and we muft probably wait for that of reafon before fuch events can be produced. Though the Mahomedan conquefts and establishment are not perhaps fo firm and intimate here as generally imagined, and might be rather easily overturned by certain operations from the north, affifted by colonies from the fouth; but mankind, during this vet fanatical age, are now here fufficiently qualified and prepared to mix well and intermarry with the natives, nor the natives with them, not even in the countries where they emigrate moft to each other, though fuch mixture is perhaps the only way to fecure any conqueft or establishment, and to improve the human race.. The difficulties generally proceed from their differing in religious opinions. Were it not for the barbarous inveteracy of Mahome

difm, we might hope in time to fee it wear down by the arts of peace, and give way to the weight of its own abfurdities. Its future hiftory cannot yet well be foreseen; it seems doubtful if it can ever again become fufficiently rational and tolerant to admit of the neceffary improvements in arts and government; or if it must go on in ignorance and barbarity, and at last decline by its own corruption and inconfiftencies, till fupplanted by fome new fyftem of fanaticifm. There is no giving Mahomedans any ideas of liberty or good government as yet, for they have no notion of fovereignty without defpotic power.

"To fecure and to civilize this country, I believe it must be done by military colonies fimilar to those of the Romans: I with you could fearch and find out all the internal police, manners, and management, of those. Let us fuppofe fuch colonization to happen in our time, or that we are going to fet about it: fuch fuppofitions will quicken your diligence. The man who does not frequently build caftles, plant colonies, and gain battles, in idea, will not probably ever do any thing of the kind in reality. If I were to have any hand in their formation, I fhould probably infift on fome which may appear to you fingularities-I fhould imitate Penn, and have no ftate religion, but fe cure complete toleration, and protection to all fects-I should have more women, and give them more to fay and to do in fuch colonies than may correfpond with your ideas of military or even of civil life-I fhould be for the fexes living and acting almoft perpetually together, both in public and private, as the firft requifite towards civilization, especially in this country; they fhould neither eat, drink,

drefs,

drefs, nor do almoft any thing with out the prefence and affiftance of each other. I think, even with us, the fexes retiring fo much from one another feldom proceeds from any good motive, and has no good effects; here, their feparation is the great impediment to all the advances of the fpecies, and one of the many pernicious confequences of the fubordination of one sex to

the other.

"The importance of this great continent or peninfula of Africa is obvious, and its being as yet fo little known, or improved is equally furprifing; however, many parts of it are known to be capable of every kind of produce, and may yet again fupply Europe, &c. with many things better than now by diftant

colonies.

"The native and natural race of man throughout this great continent is probably the black, of two kinds, the woolly-headed on one fide of the peninfula, and the long hair ed on the other, except thofe of Atlas and the northern coaft, where they were probably always white in fome degree; but thefe have been fo frequently mixed and colonized from Europe and Alia, that it is now become impoffible to diftinguifh the indigenous and the different exotics; however, in and about Atlas are the countries I fhould like moft to explore, if it were poffible; and I fufpect it is not fo impracticable, nor the inhabitants fo wild and barbarous, as generally reported and imagined. We might there difcover many objects of curiofity and of utility--In thofe of nature and of antiquity-in koman and Carthaginian remains in the different languages and races of people -- perhaps the Punic language. When this country was better peopled and 1789.

more productive, the communication between the northern and fou thern coafts, and with fome of the internal parts, was probably much greater than we yet know or can trace. Carthage poffibly drew much of her wealth and greatness from that fource. In Tunis, and the country around it, they fay a fpirit of commerce and induftry is ftill perceptible.

"We do not here perceive any reas lity in the fuppofed inferiority of the black race to the white, but often the contrary; fome of the best officers, farmers, workmen, of this empire, and I believe of several others, have been of that race. All the diffe rent colours feem to be nearly of the fame African character, comprehending a variety of tempers and turns of mind as among ourfelves; there may be fome fhades of difference, phyfical, and hence moral, fometimes perceptible in the humour and temper of mind be tween the blacks and whites; the black may have rather more of that kind of volatile fenfibility, or irritability, which feems to attend the human character as it approaches the fun-warmer, yet weaker: their fentiments, though more ardent, seem to be more tranfient than ours; and their faculties, as well as formation, may be fomewhat different, but not, Í think, beyond the power of habit and education to model and affimilate. They may have the advantage in fome faculties, and the whites in others, and I doubt not but great characters and a great nation might be formed of thefe, as well as of other human beings; but the world wants yet more knowledge and experience on this fubject, and we fhould require much more residence and more attention to determine any thing in it: this is certainly one

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needlefs here to trace. Their form of government is an old feudal ariftocracy, established by king John, with the legislative, the judicial, and for a time, the executive powers, in the fame body of people, as was the mode in those times of war and ignorance. They have been confidered as belonging not to our legiflature, but to the crown, and have generally been under the adminiftration or fuperintendence of the privy council, which is not I believe allowed to be very well conftituted even for a court of law; how well calculated to be a legiflative body I will not pretend to determine. The most democratic government muft perhaps become ariftocratic in fome degree; the degree and form of which is of great importance. When it can be properly divided into an upper and lower part, feparate, independent, and nearly balanced, and under the control properly limited of one head, the fyftem may become nearly complete: but here, the two latter are defective. The upper and lower parts, the Peers and Commons, fit together, and the aristocratic part commonly governs, as ufual in this form: the yet ill-defined power of the head is divided between a governor and a baily, who generally act by deputies. This fimulacre of a conftitution deceives at firft view with fome appearance of control and balance, of forms, elections, judges; but thefe are chiefly fallacies, and the whole has been too often found to be little better than a tyrannical aristocracy. The states or legiflature confifts of twelve jurats, elected by the whole ifland for life, of twelve clergy, and of twelve members called conftables, one elected by each parish for three years, with the lieutenant-baily, who holds the states. The clergy are probably the best informed part of this

legiflature, and tan have but few interefted views. Where there are no places or preferment for them, and their livings being very fmall, it feems their intereft to be popular among their parishioners; they are generally now on the fide of the people, and feem to be proportionally difliked by the feigneurs. Their bifhop, viz. of Winchester, furely ought to vifit them fometimes, and they fhould have more ftudents at our univerfities, where there is or ly a fcanty provifion of three fellowfhips, and twelve poor fcholarfhips, for the two iflands. The judicial power, or royal court, is only a certain number of the jurats, who, in this capacity, cannot be expected always to forget their political or party fpirit; and accordingly they have often used their judicial power to promote their political views and influence, and caufes are frequently decided in favour of their own party. As legiflators, or as judges, they are placed in a cruel and difficult fitua tion, and if they have been fometimes tyrannical and unjuft, their political conftitution is perhaps more in fault than they.

"In order to procure justice and freedom, the efficient government, of whatever form, fhould be under fome control, or it will degenerate into tyranny: -fuch is man. This ariftocracy has been formerly long in the habits of governing without any fufficient reftraint; and though a fpirit of liberty and oppofition has at length found its way hither, and the jurats have loft their great influence in the ftates, yet they may again recover it, and refume their wonted defpotic fway, if the privy council fhould be too partial to the ariftocratic part. Their prefent G. tuation, full of perpetual ftruggles between the governing and popular parties, creates violent heats and

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animofities, and threatens dangerous confufion, as ufual in fmall places, efpecially if no umpire of fufficient authority and influence is prefent to decide the conteft, and with wifdom enough to preferve the balance. The restoring and fupporting their ancient tyranny can hardly now be intended, as fome of them fufpect, being a meafure fo highly unworthy an English government, and could only be effected by fuch violent means as would in thefe days difgrace any nation. The only remedy is to mend their conftitution, and give them fome English laws, which is now much defired by many. Jurics, in the way which they themselves propofe, and which were anciently in ufe here as in Normandy, would probably answer well enough for them, viz. in cafes where defired by the parties. It may be alledged, that in fuch fmall places their decifions would still be only the voice of party; but thefe, by being generally the opinion of a majority, would probably be nearly and often right, and would be lefs partial than the judgment of arbitrary and interefted magiftrates.

Such a bafelefs fabric as this old French ariftocracy is not now long to be fupported, and was only practicable in the hands of wifdom or artifice and experience; but muft crumble to pieces if it fhould repeatedly fail under the guidance of folly, vanity, paffion, or inexperience, and ftill more if under all these together.

"It might be owing to the tyranny, infufficiency, or non-refidence of former governors, that their power has been divided: the civil part has been given to a baily who holds the ft tes, &c. by deputy; and little elfe befides the military part, remains to the governor.

Unless these two chance to be very wife and temperate men, they must be at perpetual war. In the body politic, there is no fupplying the want or deficiency of a head: every fubftitute or contrivance for that purpose can form caly a monfter which cannot live long. It is better there be always a neceffity for a good head, to oblige fovereigns to look out for proper governors, and not indulge them in thinking their tools or favourites fufficient. Befides, we fhould attend to the change of times and manners for many obvious reafons. Even proper military lieutenant-governors may now perhaps be more easily found than lieutenant-bailies above mediocrity, or fufficiently qualified for the head of fuch a state. The army may now produce as many men of fufficient probity, honour, and general knowledge, as any other line of life. It is not to be eafily understood why we have been fo backward in giving thefe people the fame kind of government with our other iflands, by a governor, fenate, and as fembly.

"In every country and form of rule, there ought perhaps to be complaints and abufes enough to feed and maintain an oppofition as a watch and control upon power; and when oppofition is increafed to a majority by the increase of abuses, they are thus often redreffed. This oppofition having of late grown up to a majority, under every difadvantage, marks that it is high time to change and improve their conftitution. Though these poor people may not have fo much to complain of as they imagine, or as might be expected under fo imperfect a government; though they may naturally magnify their own evils and fufferances; yet they ought furely. to have at least fome of them redress

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